Solano’s streak ends but playoff hopes continue

FAIRFIELD — The winning streak has ended but that doesn’t mean the hopes of a state championship have.

The Solano Community College softball team had it’s 32-game win streak end at the hands of Sierra College as it fell 7-6 in the NorCal Super Regional, Saturday, but came back to rout Santa Rosa Junior College 9-0 in the second game of the day.

The win puts the Falcons (40-3) in the championship game in a rematch against Sierra (38-4), in which SCC has to win twice. The first game will start at noon and the second will immediately follow.

The Wolverines scored three runs in the top of the first – two of which came on an error from SCC in center field – and two in the top of the second, giving them a 5-0 advantage. Victoria Faleafine hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third, making it a 5-1 game.

It took five innings, but SCC finally woke up and put some runs on the board.

Jade Bactad began the home-half of the fifth with a single, eventually getting to third with no outs as Faleafine reached on an error and Haley Wink hit a blooper to right field.

The outs came quickly as Britney Taglieri hit a pop-up to the catcher and Aleyna Benipayo reached first on a fielder’s choice as Bactad was thrown out at home. Stefanie Chainurux hit a single, which plated Faleafine and Shannon Mestas hit a three-run double.

Sierra extended its lead in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run. The Falcons scored one in the bottom of the sixth but all hopes of a comeback were literally tossed out as Benipayo was thrown out at third from first.

About the end of the streak, Crouse-Feehan said she doesn’t think anyone thought about it.

“We don’t really talk about it as a team. You’re supposed to win anyways.”

In the second game of the day, Amber Takeda started in the circle and went three innings, allowing one hit with no strikeouts or walks. Mestas came in relief and went four innings, allowing one hit with eight strikeouts.

Chainurux, Mestas and Sierra Siegel each had two RBIs, with Mestas hitting two doubles.

Crouse-Feehan seemed confident in her team’s ability to win twice Sunday and had a simple formula for how to come out victorious.

“If you win every inning, you win the game. The team that makes the least amount of errors wins the game.”